Polyplastics Launches New POM Grades for Food Contact Applications, Eyes Business Expansion in Europe and Americas

TOKYO, April 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Polyplastics Co., Ltd. announced on April 18 that it will implement the following strategies to further strengthen the company's presence in the markets of Europe and the Americas. Polyplastics began advancing into these markets in 2012 and has built a sales structure that comprises sales companies in the U.S., Germany and Mexico (*1). As a result, the volume of sales of POM (polyacetal) and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) in these markets has become four times higher than that three years ago.

1. New grades of DURACON (R) POM have been developed that conform with regulations established by the European Union (EU) concerning food contact and drinking water supply applications. Polyplastics will begin the sale of a grade for injection molding (2 types) and a grade for solid-phase extrusion molding (1 type).

DURACON (R) POM is used for food contact and drinking water supply applications in Japan, the U.S. and Asia due to its balanced mechanical properties and superior creep resistance, fatigue resistance, chemical resistance and dimensional stability. Recently, new grades have been developed that conform with regulations established by the EU. Polyplastics is now endeavoring to expand the market for DURACON (R) POM worldwide. The new grades have good mechanical properties and moldability confirmed to be equivalent to or greater than those of existing grades.

2. Polyplastics has POM polymerization plants in Japan, Malaysia, Mainland China and Taiwan with a total production capacity of approximately 290,000 tons/year, the world's largest. In addition, as part of the effort to strengthen Polyplastics' capacity to supply compound products, construction has begun that will increase by 9,000 tons/year the compound production capacity of Polyplastics Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd. (*2), Polyplastics' wholly owned subsidiary in Malaysia. When the new facility is completed in June 2017, Polyplastics Asia Pacific will have a total production capacity of 35,000 tons/year. This will bring the total compound production capacity of the Polyplastics group to 150,000 tons/year, forming a robust system able to meet the needs of the markets of Europe and the Americas.

3. In addition to the above strategies, Polyplastics is also working to expand and strengthen its sales structure in the markets of Europe and the Americas. Also, Polyplastics' Technical Solution Center in Japan, a technical service base in Detroit, Michigan, in the U.S., and a technical service supervisor stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, form a technical solutions network that works closely with customers to support the technical aspects of their product development efforts. Polyplastics will move forward to develop new demand in the markets of Europe and the Americas.

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